Maidstone

Maidstone's population expanded in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, religion and work life.

The population reached nearly 160,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Maidstone increased by 12%, from just under 139,000 to 155,000.

The addition of just over 16,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Maidstone was home to, on average, 2.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was similar to the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Maidstone.

The percentage of households in Maidstone that rented privately increased from 7.7% in 2001 to 15% in 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 13%, while the percentage of Maidstone households that owner their home decreased from 77% to 70%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Maidstone increased by 6.9 percentage points

Percentage of households in Maidstone, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Maidstone

The number of people in Maidstone that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 20,000 in 2001 to about 41,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 27% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Maidstone that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 110,000 in 2001 to just under 98,000 in 2011 (from 76% to 63%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 10,000 to just over 11,000. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.4% to 7.1%.

About 1,700 people (0.5%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 730 in 2001 (1.1%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Maidstone increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Maidstone by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Maidstone working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 16% to 12% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Maidstone decreased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Maidstone, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Maidstone

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Maidstone, but at a slower rate than in nearby Medway.

In Maidstone, the proportion of single people increased from 26% in 2001 to 30% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Medway increased from 29% to 35%.

Across the South East, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 29% to 32%.

The proportion of married people in Maidstone fell from 56% to 51%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 10% to 12%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Maidstone residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.0% to 4.4% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (83%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Maidstone residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Maidstone decreased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Maidstone, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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